A Chinese tourist and a hotel employee have been kidnapped by armed men in Sabah, the latest in a spate of such abductions in recent years.

According to West China Metropolis Daily , the incident happened at the Singamata Reef Resort last night.

The South China Morning Post quoted the hotel manager identified only as Vicky saying that five to six armed men raided the hotel around 10.30pm yesterday and left by boat within minutes. 

The Chinese tourist was identified as Gao Huayun, 29, from Shanghai whereas the 40-year-old female hotel employee is from the Philippines.

By this morning, the newspaper said all 61 guests, 59 of them Chinese, decided to leave the resort.

Photos shared online show tourists crouching on the floor at a dining room and men in uniforms with rifles and bullet proof vests, possibly Malaysian security personnel.

It was reported that police arrived at the scene at about 11pm , after the woman was taken by boat.

A journalist from West China Metropolis Daily , who was on vacation in Semporna, was the first to break the story, which later went viral after being picked up by other Chinese dailies.

A photograph of her notes ( left ) had also been uploaded.

According to the journalist, the tourists claimed that the armed men had also fired several shots.

The official Xinhua news agency said Chinese embassy officials in Malaysia have met Sabah's chief of police and the state's tourism minister, urging them to confirm and investigate the incident quickly.

The embassy officials were on their way to the island resort, on the southeastern side of Sabah, Xinhua added.

EssCom confirms incident

Sabah police chief Hamza Taib is expected to visit Semporna on the matter and address a press conference in Kota Kinabalu at 4pm today.

An employee at the Singamata Reef Resort, contacted by

Reuters , confirmed an abduction had taken place, but declined to

provide details.

Kota Kinabalu-based journalists claim that police have yet to release any statement on the incident.

However, a Bernama report stated that the Eastern Sabah Security Command (EssCom) confirmed the incident.

EssCom director-general Mohammad Mentek said that the abduction took place at about 10.30pm yesterday.

"We leave it to the police to conduct further investigation and provide a full report," he said.

The latest incident comes amid tension in China over Malaysia's handling of the MH370 crisis.

The government has poured millions of ringgit into beefing up security along the notorious Sabah east coast following the bloody Sulu incursion at Lahad Datu early last year.

In November last year, a Taiwanese tourist was shot dead and his wife kidnapped by armed men in Semporna.

She was later rescued by Philippines security forces in the southern Philippine island of Sulu.

No group has claimed responsibility or sought ransom for the latest incident, but the Associated Press quoted Filipino sources as saying that militant southern Philippines group Abu Sayyaf could be responsible. 
 
An unnamed Philippines intelligence official said this is as Abu Sayyaf has carried out several sea-born kidnappings for ransom in the area before. 

'Possible inside job'    

Meanwhile Bernama reported in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Police commissioner Hamza Taib said there was a possibility that the Chinese woman had managed to say "I don't want to go" when dragged by the abductors for the purpose of using her as a shield as they were fleeing to their boat after abducting the first victim, the Filipina woman.        

Hamza said on the night of the incident, the group of armed men had come to the resort in a speedboat and upon reaching the resort, three of the armed men who were wearing masks went up the resort to abduct the women.     

"We have carried out an investigation and we feel there is a lead in this incident. But I cannot explain further as we don't want to jeopardise the investigation.

"We believe the victims are no longer in Semporna or in Sabah but are now in the Philippines," he said.     

He said police believed the incident at the resort which had been operating for more than 10 years had received 'inside' help because based on the surroundings at the resort, it was not easy for intruders to enter especially at night because many obstacles had been put up to deter intruders.     

He said he had instructed his men to make several raids immediately and arrest any individual believed to be able to help in the investigation.

Philippine police working closely with M'sia

The Philippine National Police maritime unit and anti-kidnapping operatives are actively and closely coordinating with their Malaysian counterparts to resolve the abduction, reported Bernama further.    

The Philippine Embassy, in a statement in KL today said both sides were currently exchanging information and working towards the speedy resolution of the case.      

"The embassy’s police attaché immediately alerted Philippine police authorities in nearby areas for possible interdiction, in the event the perpetrators and their victims were headed their way," it said.       

However, it added that authorities could not release the name of the Filipino victim until her next of kin had been notified.